Pneumatiodespatch-tube system



No. 623,5|0.- Patented Apr. 25, I899.

L. G. BOSTEDO. PNEUMATIC DESPATCH TUBE SYSTEM.

(Application filed May 17, 1697.)

4 Sheets-Shaet I.

(No Model.)

"m: NcRms PETERS cu, vnumuruuwasnmamm o. c.

No. 623,5); Patented Apr. 25,1899, L. e. BOSTEDO.

PNEUMATIC DESPATGH TUBE SYSTEM.

(Application filed May 17, 1897.) I

4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

ma Noams PETERS co, PHo'ro-L|Yo.. WASHINGTQN, n. c.

No. 623,510. Patented Apr, 25, I899.

L. G. BOSTEDO.

PNEUMATIC DESPATCH TUBE SYSTEM.

(Application filed May 17, 1897.) v (No Model.) 1 4 $hoets-.-Sheet 3.

v No. 623,5"). Patented Apr. 25, I899.-

L. G; BUSTED).

PNEUMATIC DESPATGH TUBE SYSTEM.

' (Application med May 17, 1897.) (No Model.)

4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

THE Noams pz'Yzns co. PHOTQLITHO" WASHWG'ICN. n c.

Nrrn TATES LOUIS G. BOSTEDO, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PN EU MATIC-DESPATCH-TUBE SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent NO. 623,510, dated April 25, 1899.

Application filed May 17,1897- Serial No. 636,976. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LOUIS G. BOSTEDO, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ohicago, Illinois, have invented certain new and u sef ul Improve mentsin Pneum atic-Despatch- Tube Systems,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in pneumaticdespatch-tube systems, and particularly to a system which is adapted for commercial uses, such as the transportation of merchandise or other bulky articles.

My improvements are adapted for use as delivery-terminals either for the main line or its branches, and in certain forms thereof they are also adapted for delivering a carrier past an intermediate or relay power-station.

The invention has for its object to provide a construction whereby the moving carrier is made to control the gates or valves both before and behind it, so that the carrier may pass a given point in the line or out of the end of the tube without permitting the escape of the air from the system. To accomplish this result, I employ two valves or gates separated from each other and located either at an intermediate portion of the main line, at a relay-station, or near the delivery end of the main line or a branch thereof, and I also employ a series of pipes or passages for delivering air under pressure to motors and motors so arranged as to control said valves or gates, the whole being operated by the movement of the carrier through that portion of the tube in which said valves or gates are located.

It is a further feature of the present inven- I tion that the motors controlling the valves or gates are operated directly by the pressure of the air in front of the carrier and directly by the rarefaction in the rear of the carrier, thus obtaining a quicker action for the valves or gates than where this carrier-pressure and rarefaction are employed to operate valves which in their turn control a pressure-supply from other sources than the movement of the carrier to operate the motors and valves, as has heretofore been done.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation, partly in section, of the terminal portion of a pneumatic-despatch tube having my improvements applied thereto. Figs. 2 and 3 are enlarged sectional elevations showing in detail a bypass, a valve therefor, and means for operating the valve, the latter being shown in different positions in the respective figures. Fig. 4 is a modification of the terminal apparatus shown in Fig. 1, and Fig. 5 is a simple form of the device adapted to deliver a carrier past the relay power-station.

Referring first to the construction in Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, let 7 represent the main despatch-tube, which is shown broken away near its terminal or end portion. At or near the open end of this tube is located a valve or hinged gate 8, said gate being hinged at the upper side of the tube 7, so that it may close by gravity. To this gate a link 9 is pivotally connected, said link being also pivotally connected with the piston 10, reciprocating with the pressure-cylinder 11 and guided therein by a stem 12. The upper end of the cylinder 11 is in communication with the interior of the pipe 7 through the tube 13, and back of the point where the tube 13 lets into the side of the tube 7 is located a second gatevalve 14, hinged or pivoted below the tube 7 and connected by link 15 with piston 16, reciprocating within cylinder 1'7 and guided by stem 18. A pipe 19 connects the outer end of the cylinder 17 with the tube '7 at a point between the two valves or gates and preferably near the terminal valve 8.

Assuming that a carrier is being propelled through the tube toward the gate 14 in the direction indicated by the arrow, Fig. 1, and that said gate is normally opened while the gate 6 is normally closed, and that the carrier has passed the point where the return-tube debouches from the main tube, the carrier will compress the air ahead of it in the tube 7, and this compression will be sufficient to close the gate 14 behind it, the compressed air passing from in front of the carrier through the pipe 19 to the lower side of the piston 16 and, through the link 15, raising valve 14. As the carrier moves past the point where pipe 13 communicates with tube 7, the valve 14 having been raised, a rarefaction of air will be caused in the pipe 13, thus producing a minus pressure above the piston 10, and the latter will rise, lifting valve 8, and consequently opening the end of the tube for the delivery of the carrier. As the carrier passes out valve 8 will close by gravity. This is the simplest form of the apparatus and is substantially the same form of construction as is shown in Figs. 4 and 5; but in order that the valves or gates shall he certainly and automatically operated in both directions I have added certain provisions which I will now proceed to describe.

Referring again to Fig. 1, let 2O 21 represent the branches of a by-pass, which are connected into the main tube 7 on opposite sides of 1 he gate 14 and extend forward to'the vicinity of the gate 8, where they are connected by the cross pipe or coupling :32. In the latter 1 mount a sliding valve 23, which is connected to a piston 24, working within a cylinder 25, the latter being connected by the pipe 26 with a tube 7. The gate 23 is operated by the stem 28, the latter having a reduced portion to provide a locking-shoulder 25 and sliding through an aperture in a locking-stem 31. The loekiltig-stem 31 is normally upheld by the spring and adapted to be depressed by the valve 8 when this latter is opened, as shown in Fig. 2, while the piston-stem 28 is normally thrust in a direction to open valve 23 by means of a spring In the normal position of the parts this valve is open, and as a carrier arrives in the delivery portion of the terminal the air compressed thereby will operate to close the valve 14, as before described, and at the same time a portion of the compressed air passing through pipe 26 into the cylinder 25 will move piston 24 in a direction to close the valve 23, thus cutting off communication between the pipes 20 and 21. As the valve 23 closes its stem 28 is thrust forward, so that its shoulder 29 is in position to be engaged by the locking stem 31, when the latter shall have been released from the weight of the valve 8 and raised by its spring The valve 8 will then be opened and the valve 14 closed by the advancing carrier in the manner before described, and after the carrier is delivered the valve 8 will closeby gravity. As, however, the main pressure is exerted upon the valve 14, the latter will be held in its closed position until it is released. Now as the valve 8 closes it strikes and depresses the lockingstem 31, releasing the piston-stem 28, and the spring 33 opens the valve 23. The main pressure maynow move through this by-pass, consisting of the pipes 21, 22, and 23, so that the pressure will equalize on opposite sides of the valve 14 and the latter will descend and open by gravity. In order to provide for any excess of pressure, I have shown the reliefvalves 34 35, the former to avoid any excess of direct pressure in advance of the valve and the latter to avoid any excess of vacuum or minus pressure in the rear.

In the construction shown in Fig. 4 I have shown the main pipe 7, a return-pipe 36, sliding gates 37 and 38, pistons 39 40 for operating the same,and a slightly-different arrangement of by-pass pipes which I will now describe. In this construction the gates 37 38 are both arranged above the tube and their pistons 30 4O operate within the cylinders 41 42, which are connected by pipes 43 44 with the main tube 7, the pipe 43 being connected intermediate the valves 37 38 and the pipe 44 entering tube 7 at a point beyond the branch or return 36. As the carrier approaches the valve 38 the air compressed will enter through the min ute aperture or port 48 and raise the piston 40, thus opening gate 38. As the carrier passes on the gate 38 will drop by gravity, and then a rarefaction will ensue due to the forward movement of the carrier, and this rarefaction will act to exhaustthe air in pipe 43 and thereby to raise valve 37 to permit the carrier to pass out. The atmospheric air is admitted below piston 30 through the aperture 4!), and the pressure may be regulated within the delivery portion of the terminal by means of the valve 50 in the pipe 51, the end of said pipe communicating with tube 7 intermediate the gates 37 38 and near to each other.

I employ a small by-pass 52, which connects with the tube 7 near the gate 37 and with the cylinder 42 through its side below the piston 40. There is also formed through the upper part of the gate 38, between the piston 40 and the lower end of the cylinder 42, a port 55. It will be seen that when the carrier first begins to compress the air in the tube 7 before it passes the gate 38 the compressed air will pass through the ports 48 and and through the by-pass 52, thus equalizing the pressure on the opposite sides of the gate 38 and preventing an explosive action when said gate opens. After the carrier has opened the gate 38 a portion of the air compressed between said carrier and the gate 37 is diverted through the by-pass 52 into the cylinder 42 below the piston 40 therein, thereby retaining this latter and the gate 38 in its raised position until the carrier shall have safely passed the said gate 38.

In the construction shown in Fig. 5 I have indicated at 53 a supplementary power-generator which is located within the pipe 54, and the main current is therefore diverted through said pipe 54, while the intermediate portion of the main pipe 7 contains the gates 37 38, as in the construction shown in Fig. 4, the operation being in all respects the same. It will be noticed, however, that in this construction the by-pass 52 is connected with the tube 7 at a distance from the gate 37 about equal to the length of the carrier, so that the body of the carrier will prevent the establishment of a reverse current from the tube 54 through the open gate 37,by-pass 52,and ports 55 and 48 to that portion of the tube 7 beyond the gate 38. Moreover, in this construction the port or vent 49 is formed in the side of the cylinder 41, between the lower cylinder-head and the piston 39, so as to openinto the outer air.

I claim 1. In a pneumatic-despatch-tube system, the combination with the main despatch-tube of two gates or valves located at separated points therein, motors for actuating said valves, and constantly open pipes or passages directly communicating between the main tube and the motors, whereby the variations of pressure between said carrier and said gates or valves caused by the movement of the carrier in the main tube directly operates said motors and valves, substantially as described.

2. In a pneumatic-despatch-tube system, the main despatch-tube, in combination with two gates or valves located at separate points therein, one of said gates being normally open and the other normally closed, motors for actuating said valves, connecting-pipes whereby the variations of pressure caused bythe movement of the carrier in the main tube directly operate said motors and gates, a bypass around the normally open gate, a valve controlling said by-pass, and means whereby said valve is actuated to equalize the pressure on both sides of the normally open gate when closed to permit the same to reopen, substantially as described.

3. In a pneumatic-despatcl1-tube system, the main despatch-tube, in combination with two gates or valves located at separate points therein, motors for actuating said gates, connecting-pipes whereby the variations of pressure caused by the movement of the carrier in the main tube directly operate said motors and gates, a by-pass around one of said gates, a normally open valve in said by-pass, a motor actuated by the compression of the air by the carrier to close said valve, a spring to open said valve after the carrier has passed and a latch adapted to hold said valve and spring in a closed position until released by the closing of the second gate, substantially as described.

4. In a pneumatic-despatch tube, the main despatch-tube, in combination with two gates or valves located one at the discharge end of the tube and normally closed and the second some distance inward therefrom and normally open, a motor for the second gate and having a pipe or passage connecting with the main tube near the first or normally closed gate, whereby the compression of the air in said main tube between the advancing carrier and the closed gate operates to close the normally open gate, and a motor for the first gate having a pipe or passage connecting with the main tube on the discharge side ofand near the normally open gate, whereby the rarefaction of the air in the tube behind the advancing carrier opens the normally closed gate to permit the discharge of the carrier, substantially as described.

LOUIS G. BOSTEDO. Witnesses:

FREDERICK C. GoonwIiv, IRVINE MILLER. 

